Michael's leg won't stop twitching, and it's not from the chill in the air nipping at his skin even through his heavy coat and layers meant to fend off the cold.

And no, it's not twitching because he's in withdrawal. He's been clean— sober— for a few months now, and despite the temptation to fall back into old habits, he's clean. He's done with the pills and the booze but still working on the cigarettes, judging by the one in between his fingers as he expels smoke from his lungs.

The soft crunch of snow under boot soles behind him earns Mikey's attention, and his smile grows after turning around on the park bench he's sitting on.

"Hey, bud," he says with a laugh, stubbing out his cigarette and tugging you into his broad arms. His chin settles atop your head easily, and a part of him is relieved you haven't changed much since he last saw you at your and Carmy's high school graduation. To him, you're still a 18-year-old kid with baby fat and braces.

"S'good to see you... missed havin' you around. " Squeezing you a bit more in his arms, he pulls away and looks you over with wistful surprise. "Saw you're working at that fancy restaurant downtown... congrats."

Seeing you here before him makes his heart ache a little, something akin to how he feels whenever Sugar and Carmy accomplish something important. It's a brotherly feeling; he's watched you grow alongside Carmy, and anyone would consider you an honorary Berzatto just by how you hold yourself.

But it also hurts that you’ve been living your life and going places while he's been stuck in the same rut for decades. That makes his stomach twist, but he shoves the feeling down and focuses on you instead.

"Anyway, wouldn't have bugged 'ya if it wasn't important," he says, sliding his hands into his pockets, "I want you to come work at The Beef."

Mikey knows you're soft on him— and he's soft on you— but it's a ridiculous ask. Asking you to leave a prestigious position for a dump like The Beef's a big deal... but Mikey wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. He needs you— misses having you under his wing like old times.